Insusceptible
by amythis
Summary: While Gilligan and Mary Ann have laundry detail because of Ginger's cold, the Professor helps Ginger feel better. New chapter added because Miss Bridget Sharpe wanted to know the Professor's thoughts.
1. Contagious

One morning, Ginger woke up and started sneezing.

"Ginger, what's wrong?" Mary Ann asked.

"I think I have a cold."

"Are you sure it's not an allergy? Like the one to Gilligan's hair oil."

"Well, you were allergic to that, too." She sneezed again. "But, no, I don't think it's an allergy."

Mary Ann got out of bed and started getting dressed. "I'll bring you some juice. You rest."  
"Thanks, Honey."

Mary Ann really was sweet, like a kid sister, only much nicer than Ginger's own sister.

When Mary Ann gave her the guava juice, Ginger sipped it carefully, since her throat was sore.

"Better?"  
"A little. But I don't know if I'll be able to do the laundry today."

Mary Ann sighed. "I'll do it."

"Oh, thanks! You're a doll."

"You're welcome." Mary Ann sounded a little irritated, but she didn't have to offer to do the laundry. Ginger thought about telling her that, but Mary Ann said goodbye and left.

Ginger set the glass on her night stand and dozed off. She woke to the Professor saying, "Ginger?"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Hello." Then she sneezed.

"Gesundheit. Mary Ann said you weren't feeling well."

"Yes, I have a little cold."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Was he asking as a friend or as the closest they had to a doctor on the island?

"Well, it's about Mary Ann."

"Oh, that's sweet of you to worry about her."

"No, I'm not that swee—"

"It is possible that she may catch your cold."

"Oh, yes, it's too bad we have to share a hut right now." She decided not to explain that it was about the laundry.

"Yes, it's too bad she doesn't share my immune system."

Ginger thought but of course didn't say that the Professor was far too immune for her liking.

Then he continued, "Perhaps you could stay in my hut till you're well."

"Professor!" she gasped.

"I'll check with the Skipper to see if I can stay with him and Gilligan for the time being."

She should've known better. It would be quite out of character for the aloof Professor to offer to "live in sin," even for a few days. And she could just imagine what the others would say!

"Thank you."  
"Not at all."

After he left, she got dressed and packed. She wasn't sure how long she could stay at the Professor's. She didn't feel terribly sick, just sick enough. She looked in the mirror. She didn't look too awful, just weak and delicate, which was perfect.

She'd been trying to capture his attention all this time, with little success. Maybe this was her golden opportunity. She just hoped she wouldn't go through a phase with a red, blotchy face.

"It's all arranged," he said when he returned.

"Wonderful," she said in a hoarse but not too hoarse voice.

"Would you like me to carry your case?"

"Thank you." She wondered if she could also lean on him as they made their way to his hut, but that might be pushing things. She also wondered if she should leave a note for Mary Ann, but she couldn't think how to phrase it. The two girls sometimes teased each other about their "love interests," but this was the first time either of them had ended up in her dream man's hut and presumably bed.

When she and the Professor arrived at his place, he put the case on top of his dresser and she pretended to swoon a little. Nothing too dramatic, just a little swaying. It helped that she was feeling a little light-headed and dizzy.

"Ginger, are you all right?" The Professor rushed back to her side.

"I, I feel a little dizzy."  
"Here, let me get you into bed."  
"Thank you, Professor."

She leaned on him and he put his arm around her waist. He escorted her to his bed and helped her in.

"You're so kind," she murmured.

"Not at all. Will you be all right if I leave you for a couple hours?"

"Leave me?"

"Yes, there are some plants I'm collecting in the jungle and today is the optimum time to gather them."

She thought of acting even more helpless, but she didn't want to push this. "I'll be fine. I think I'll just nap. Your bed is so comfortable." She stretched out like a cat.

"Yes, sleep is the best thing for you."

She waited till after he left before she punched his pillow. This was so frustrating! Would he ever notice her?

Then she realized that she had a little problem. She couldn't sleep in her beige evening gown and she hadn't thought to pack a nightgown, because she didn't own one. She usually slept in the nude, wrapping a blanket around herself if she had to get up at night. But that probably wouldn't work too well here. Well, it might get the Professor's attention, but that was playing too unfair.

She got out of bed and found a clean shirt. After all, Mary Ann slept in an old shirt of the Professor's. Why shouldn't Ginger? She knew she should've asked first, but she didn't think he'd mind. She peeled off her gown and slipped on the sensible, buttoned white shirt. It hung higher on her than it would've on Mary Ann, showing off her panties. Well, she'd be in bed most of the time, so it wasn't like she would be seen below the waist. And after all, Little Miss Wholesome walked around with her bottom almost hanging out, like with that blue & white checked number she was wearing that day, the one she called a "dress."

The cattiness of the thought surprised Ginger, and she felt guilty. Well, she was sick and allowed to be grumpy. And it wasn't like she'd voiced the thought.

She finished buttoning the Professor's shirt and got into bed. She drifted off for awhile.

She must've slept longer than she thought, because it was afternoon when she woke to Mary Ann exclaiming, "Ginger, what are you doing here?"

Mary Ann must've noticed what Ginger was wearing, although she didn't say anything about it in front of Gilligan, who seemed to be helping her with the laundry. Mary Ann had to have been aware that if Ginger got out of bed so that Mary Ann could change the sheets, then Gilligan would see her legs. And Ginger felt funny about that, despite her flirtatious reputation. She liked to control how much of herself a man saw or experienced.

Then the Professor returned and, when she said she was too weak and tired to get out of bed, he decided to be helpful and hold her while the other two remade his bed. She was surprised but didn't want to show it. It felt too wonderful in his arms, his sweetness and his strength sinking into her skin.

Yet she was not unaware of a certain changed chemistry between Gilligan and Mary Ann. She noticed little glances between them, and the way their hands met "accidentally" on the Professor's bed. So when Mary Ann got catty with her, she gave it back, although in a way too subtle for the men to notice. She was still playing sick and helpless. It reminded Ginger of the gentle battles of wits she used to engage in with her sister.

After Mary Ann and Gilligan left, Ginger was alone with the Professor again. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your shirt."

"Oh, no, not at all. It, it looks good on you."  
"Oh, I'm sure I look a sight."

"You could never not look beaut—Like Ginger Grant."

She blushed a little and hoped he would think her cheeks were just pink from the cold. "Thank you. So, uh, is it all set with the Skipper for you to stay in their hut tonight?"

"Yes, I'll sleep there. But I think I'll need to devote as many of my daytime hours to you as I can, till you feel good again."

"That's very kind of you. But what about your botany research?"

"It's finished. And I'll use it to make medicine for you."

She smiled. "With you taking care of me, I'm sure I'll feel better in no time."

"And so will I," he said and to her great surprise, he leaned over the bed and kissed her on the mouth.

"Professor! Aren't you worried about my germs?"

"I told you. I'm not particularly susceptible."

"Well, I'm probably not that contagious," she admitted.

"Let's see if we can further build up my immunity."

"All right." She gently pulled his head towards hers and he buried his nose in her neck.

"You wear perfume even when you're sick?"

"I'm not wearing perfume. I can't smell anything right now."

"Then you don't know how good you smell."

She laughed and kissed him, for a very long time, until they both sneezed.


	2. Immune

"Hello, Mary Ann."

"Hi, Professor."  
The farm girl had the laundry basket. "Are you helping Ginger with laundry today?"

She sighed. "No, I'm doing all of it. She's not feeling well."  
"She's not?"

"No, she thinks she might have a cold."

"Oh, I'd better check on her."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that."

The Professor was not oblivious to Mary Ann's undertone, but decided to ignore it. "Well, yes, thank you." He gave her his clothes that needed washing.

He didn't head right over to the girls' hut. He was pondering exactly what he could offer Ginger, and how she would react.

When he did visit her and she seemed concerned about exposing Mary Ann to her cold, he didn't say that Mary Ann had already risked catching it just by sharing a hut. Instead he spoke of his own immunity. And then he offered her the hospitality of his hut.

He knew of course that there was no way that Mrs. Howell or the others would approve of him staying in the hut at the same time, and judging from Ginger's shocked reaction, she wasn't comfortable with the idea herself. So he suggested he stay with the sailors, and that seemed fine with her.

He knew there was no point in trying to explain to Gilligan so he didn't even bother looking for the first mate. Instead he went directly to the captain and explained the situation.

"I don't mind, but I think you'd have more fun with Ginger as a roommate," the Skipper teased.

"Not when she's sick. Uh, I mean."

"I'll clear a space for your stuff."

"Thank you, Skipper."

He returned to Ginger and escorted her to his hut. When they arrived, he noticed that she was putting on a bit of an act. Nothing too broad and obvious, but just exaggerated enough. He believed she was sick, but he didn't believe she was that frail and helpless. He decided to play along and see what she was up to. He let her lean on him after she almost fainted. He wondered why she didn't fake a complete faint and have him carry her.

After he helped her into bed, he said he had to leave her for a couple hours. He wanted to see if she'd beg him to stay. She didn't. She said she'd nap while he was gone, and she stretched out very seductively. It was difficult for him to leave her, but he had to clear his head.

He'd said he had to collect some plants, so he decided to get ones that would help her feel better. There was no cure for the common cold, especially on the island, but he could make it more pleasant for her.

As he gathered the ingredients, he thought about what to do next. What did she want from him? What did he want from her? Well, those were old questions in a way, ones he'd never quite resolved. And certainly he didn't want to take advantage of a sick woman, even if she didn't seem very sick and did seem very interested.

He decided that the best thing to do was to keep treating her as if she was extremely sick and delicate. So when he returned and heard her say, "But, Mary Ann, I'm so weak and tired," he knew he would have to do this with an audience. Well, he wasn't as good at acting as Ginger was, but he'd give it his best shot.

When Ginger said she couldn't get out of bed for Mary Ann and her assistant Gilligan to make the bed, the Professor lifted her into his arms, to the surprise of their visitors. The Professor wasn't sure if Ginger was surprised, but she certainly didn't complain. And she felt very nice in his arms. He tried to ignore the fact that she was wearing his shirt and no slacks or skirt, exposing her underwear even more than Mary Ann's little blue dress exposed hers. (No wonder Gilligan was helping with the laundry.)

The Professor tucked Ginger in and knew that he had to get rid of Gilligan and Mary Ann. A short lecture on health and weather did the trick.

When Ginger mentioned borrowing his shirt, he ended up awkwardly complimenting her. He was just no good at sweet talk. But he let himself say that he wanted to devote all his waking hours to her, trying to sound like he just meant because she was sick. She seemed to respond well.

And then he decided to really test this and kiss her. She had always initiated their kisses and he'd done his best to not show how eager he was for them. But maybe it was time to make the first move.

She again exclaimed, "Professor!" after he kissed her, but this time she teased, "Aren't you worried about my germs?"

He knew he'd never live that down. But he said, "I told you. I'm not particularly susceptible." Well, not in that sense.

They bantered a little more and then she brought his head back to hers. He knew she wanted this, wanted him. So he buried his nose in her neck, delighting in her scent, which seemed to be her own, sweeter and more intoxicating than any of her perfumes.

They kissed for a very long time, and he wondered how he could tear himself away for not only dinner but a night in the sailors' hut.

And then they both sneezed. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Perhaps you're not as immune as you thought."

"Perhaps not."

"Now you're going to risk exposing the Skipper and Gilligan to my cold."

"Well, to be honest, I think you've already exposed Mary Ann to it, which means that she's exposed Gilligan to it, and he'll expose the Skipper to it."

"So only the Howells are safe?"

"Perhaps not even them. After all, Mary Ann and Gilligan were doing everyone's laundry."

She laughed again. "You'll all be sick in no time."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Maybe I should go back to my hut then. There's no point in my staying here after all."

"Oh, I think there's a point." He spent the next few hours proving that point.


End file.
